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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · race · root · ruler · key · prune · game · cold

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. race — the arms race
  3. game — wild animals
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. key — for a lock
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cold — not warm
  9. key — in music
  10. prune — to trim
  11. race — humankind
  12. charge — in control
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. game — a match
  16. key — the most important part
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cold — an illness
  21. charge — a price
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. root — of a plant
  24. race — a contest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com